Council argues over tourism pick

FLORENCE - A tourism board appointment that pitted a city leader against county commissioners turned internal this week.

For more than a half-hour, Florence council members Tuesday argued about how they should appoint members to a joint committee designed to settle a dispute with the county.

What some expected to be little more than procedural evolved into a parade of finger-pointing, as some threw out claims of undermined leadership and questioned integrity.

The City Council and Lauderdale County Commission have been at an impasse for weeks about who to appoint to the Florence-Lauderdale Tourism Board. The two bodies must agree on a candidate, but the commission voted to reappoint Bill Hunt, while the city went with Jan Ingle.

Councilman Sam Pendleton had threatened to pursue disbanding the board if progress was not made in the talks. Last week, the commission suggested forming a committee of two commissioners and two council members to break the deadlock.

Council members this week struggled to determine their representation.

The main contention was whether Council President James Barnhart should appoint the two members - he is responsible for deciding the makeup of committees within the council - or the group should vote on it, as Pendleton implored them to do.

Pendleton was upset that Barnhart appeared at a previous county commission meeting when the appointment was discussed. Barnhart said he was never formally part of the meeting but did acknowledge there that Hunt had the right to change his mind if he wanted.

Hunt had previously said he didn't want the position again.

That meeting appearance, coupled with what Pendleton called "foot dragging" on the process, led councilmen to suggest they vote rather than rely on Barnhart to make the choice.

"You gave tacit approval that Mr. Hunt could change his mind," Pendleton said to the council president. "I just think you're biased."

Barnhart responded that Pendleton was questioning his integrity and then attempted to appoint members to the proposed committee, even pointing to the empty chair of absent Councilman Hermon Graham as a potential nominee.

"You know that's a slap in the face," Pendleton said of the move. "You just did that to make me mad."

Pendleton did not back away from his stance Wednesday.

"He's my friend, but he just messed up yesterday," he said. "The president of the council only presides. He wasn't presiding. He was dictating."

Ultimately, the council approved Pendleton's motion to send members Barry Morris and Andy Betterton to the meeting with the county. Councilman Dick Jordan was the lone dissenting vote. Pendleton said he recommended the two because he wanted the first-term councilmen to gain experience working with commissioners.

Though Barnhart anticipated making the appointment himself, he said he wasn't shocked with the argument that ensued.

"It didn't surprise me," he said. "First of all, I've never seen a board appointment with this much ado about it. I think this one is built up to the point where I expect anything."

But Jordan said he felt the move undermined Barnhart's role.

"We elect a council president to make these types of decisions," Jordan said. "He appoints committees. I do not think we need to undermine him on this. We're setting a very bad precedent. I don't think we need to change the way committees are selected just because you don't like who is on a certain committee."

Jordan said in his two decades of experience he can't remember a time when the president's appointment power was questioned.

Both Morris and Betterton said they were eager to put the bickering with the county - and among the council - behind them.

"I'm ready for this decision to be made," Betterton said. "It's gone on too long. I don't want anyone to think that when we voted on this committee appointment it reflects on Mr. Barnhart."

Despite the commission's approval of Hunt, the City Council balked at his reappointment mainly because of his 60 percent attendance record. They recommended Ingle, outgoing president of the University of North Alabama National Alumni Association, to replace the businessman.

Morris was steadfast that he would not support Hunt, and while not committing to anything in the future talks with the county, acknowledged both sides may have to scrap their individual candidate and pursue someone else as a compromise.

At least nine candidates applied for the position, according to city officials.

No date has been set for their meeting since county commissioners has not yet determined who will represent them.

When asked why the debate went on for so long, Morris said, "That is a good question. I don't have an answer for that. I thought it was too protracted and covered the same ground over and over again."

Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.